Regulating resistance for electrolytic condensers.



s SHEETS-sum1.

Patented June 11, 15H2L f E1n-HER E? y E. E; GREGHTON. REGULATINGRESISTANCE fm1 ELEGTRGLYTIG GNDENSBRS.

y APPLICATION' HLED APR. 23. 1,029,344.

'5. 1:. 1*. CREIGHTON. REGULATING RESISTANCE FOR ELEOTROLYTICGONDENSERS.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 13. 1909. v

Pantd Jima 11, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IYZTJVESSES Patented June 11, 192.

3 SHEETSPSHBET 3.

t'. GREIGHTUN.

LBSSTANGE FUR ELEGTRQLYHC GONDENSEES. ,wml-@ANON IILBD APR. z3. 1909.

ULATING ML'TNESSES/ j. if@ QW z-I-f GFFICE.

ELMEB. E. F. CREGHTON, GF BCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERALELECTRIC GQB'PANY, A CORtGRATON OF NEW YORK.

BEGULATING RESISTANCE FR ELECTRDLYTC GSNDENSERS.

Specification-er Letters etent.

Patented June 11, 1912.

Applicetienlerl .april Q3, 2909. ASerial No. 491,3.

.To all whom-'it may concern;

Be it known that I, Emana E. Camon- 'roN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing .ing Resistance .for Jlectrclytic Condensers,

of which the following ,is a specification.

My invention relates to the use of a plurality of electrolytic condensercells, which are connected inseries across the line of a transmissionsystem for the purpose of protecting the lines from lightning' orequalizing surges and other disturbances in said lines. l

As electrolytio condensers are nos.T Well understood in the art only abrief description will be required at this point. The cell consistsessentially of aluminum electrodes immersed in a Asuitable electrolyte,such as ammonium tetraborate. lVhen a cell of this kind is included inan electric cir cuit a thin iilm of aluminum oXid or hy droxid is formedon the surface of these plates, which exerts an insulating action andalmost completely' prevents the tion' of current after its formation.However, when the voltage impressed upon the cell exceeds a certaincritical voltage the insulating property of the film is broken down andtheI additional fiovv of current is opposed only by the resistance ofthe electrolyte. It has been found that when a number of such cells areconnected in series that the critical voltage will not be the same foreach cell., even though the. electrodes and the clectrolyte for eachcell be made identical as tar as possible. It will sometimes happen thatthe `film of one or more of the cells in a series of this kind becomesdeteriorated to such an extent that the cells v ill no longer take theirshare of the impressed voltage. This, of course, will throw an excessivestrain on the remaining cells. The result vvill often be that most ofthe excess voltage will be taken by a few cells, or, even b v one cell,which results in undue heating of those cells or cell, leading to afurther break-down on account of this excessive strain. ln this mannerone cell after another becomes de` teriorated until all the cells aredestroyed one after another.

According to my invention, l provide a device for each of the cells,which will automatically complete a high resistance shunt around anyparticular cell when its temperature rises above a certain predeterminedlimit, thereby diverting a. art of the current from the overloaded, anhence overheated coli. When normal conditions have been restored thecell cools oi and the shunt circuit is automatically opened.

My invention comprises several embodiments of automatic means foraccomplish ing this end, which will be described in detail hereinafter.

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a pair of cellsequipped with a thermostat for closing the shunt circuit; Fig. Q, is aplan vieu`r of the same cells, and also shows a diagram of circuits;Fig. 3 is a iragmental view, partly in section, showing two cellsequipped with an arrangement for completing the. shunt circuit bycondensing the vapors arising from the overheated cell, the circuitbeing completed through the condensed liquid; Fig. 4 shows anarrangement for utilizing the pressure o the gases in the overheatedcell to complete the circuit', Fig. 5 illustrates a similar arrangementfor using the gaseous pressure to close the shunt circuit; and Fig. 6 isa-fragmental view, partly in section, showing two cells equipped with anelectromagnetic switch for completing the shuntaround Vthe overloadedcell.

tainer S Filled with an electrolyte 9, above,

which is placed a layer of oil' l0 to prevent. evaporation. Theelectrodes, consisting of aluminum plates ll, are suspended from thecover by means of supporting lugs 12. Electrical connections are madewith the electrodes by means ofl nuts 13.' As is clearly shown, thecells are connected `in seriesacross the conductors 14. Around cach cellin close contact with the same is placed a curved thermostat 15, whichforms part of the shunt circuit,.which for cell 1`V consists ofconductor 16, the regulating resistance i7 and conductor 18; in cell2`0f conductor 19, regulating resistance 20 and conductor 18. The amountor regulatin resistancc'in the shunt circuit will depen upon conditions,

ie Cell with i but" will :it .least equal and usual need the ohrnicresistance of tl nzn'ily the Contact bleh-wen the and the Conductor ofne broken. lf the toxnpornluro above a preoterlninefl l made by thehiffh resistance Clizlii 'rliei-niostft @omini-ting* th( shunt circuitacross th cell.y thus relieving it from the extra( 1 strain. As alreadyexplained nhow, when normal concliions have been restored @on laut isagainhrolien, slncing tho nell npjnzn in service.

The arrangement of oircnils rangement illust :itod by Fig il idontirfilwith that illustrated hvj Fig. 2. The modi iiotl arrangement used forcompletizw the circuit when omx of the oells heoomf `rely overheuted.'The tulwy 2l.y Consists of any suitable maia inl, oominuniosos' withthe n'nfai'lm: ot the 1 t one end und :it its other mi i nltafhotl to nsmall metallic 'Luhe which is elet tric-ally Connootd with shuntKcircuit, oleurlyshown. venionl'ly supported from the terminal i3 of thecoll, but is insulated therefrom. The end of the tubo projects into asmall ino if. `lic cup Q3, which is in eleoiroal mnlnot AVith oneterminal of the cell. "when :l cell becomes unduly 'ox-erhenteah sonieof saying vapori'. condei and the cup s cornes -filled with liqlncl,complet' l, circuitaround lhe cell thron r-tor 1S and the resistance l?,th ving the cell from oinossive .straw l dy explained in connection v-`ille zu'YA Crispi.;

.ff Vhe shunt oinfuit.

i y l" the .shunt s f l ,.gnpletetl by i prf, in the oveni oli a.. Thepr diaphragm 124., unless :i tuhulur oxiension '13 toller.

lne vtr-fer oi the ccll. s clearly illustrnlwl in l figures. thepriseur@ oi jms-es in the ol' ille Pell ln.' raising' the (liv View.,QMS 11ml com ille cell.

illustrated in fl l nl lull-s Lind tho shunt ein" las( Si. uit aroundthe cell. through the resistance l?. llihon normal conditions have beenre- .slored the clectromngnet will beeome wenhenetl, (lne to n drop ofpotential across the Cell. :intl the shunt. circuit.- Will open.

Although in the above examples butJ two elle here been shown as s matterof illustion. ii will, of Course he understood that i ay nnnilwr of cels Can he similarlyy used. Whirl iY claim as new and desire to secureLrttvrs lxzrtentl of the ljnitetl States, is,-

l. The combination with :in electrolytic Condenser celli shunt circuit,around said (fell, and

n regulating nsistance for said cell in s i circnii, ol therniostatiomeans mounted in thermal relation to said Cell und responsive to thetemperature. of said Cell for maintaining Said shunt circuitclosed whenthe temperature of said cell 'is :abnormal and for opening said shuntoironii; when the temperature of the cell again 'ou normal.

The combination with a plurality of rolytio oonflmiser f: ls connectedin of' lhermostatic means mounted in lhormal relation to said cell andresponsive final iemperture of said Cells mticelly eompleting a highresistunt Circuit. around any of said cells opening said shunt circuit.as the ture of said cells becomes normal. 'im cornl'iinslion with anelectrolytic cell. of n high resistance shunt .around said (fell andthermostatic lnefl in tl erxnnl relation to said lor losing und thenopening said shuntV` un :is the temperature of said cell benrs uhnornmland then returns to normal.

4. The coinl'nnnlion willi a plurality of ult rol); c (zonde: 'er Cells,of tlhermostntic moans nuninml in thermal relation to said vilcompleting and then opening iln'ongh n ref fnlgiting; ros stance ashuntfcirl @uit :around un): one of said cells when its two electrodos7of a high r0- unt @weint hvtween said elec i (rollos, unoth-'srnxostntio moans in thermal 'rt-ln! ion to the wall of said celland responsive lo lxcni'iorsilzn ufl .vnll for Closing .said

'shunt circuit when said temperature is abnormal and for opening saidcircuit as the temperature again becomes normal.

6. The combination of a plurality of electroltic condenser cells, anormally open shunt circuit containing a regulating resistance andconnected around each of said cells, and means responsive to thetemperature of, each cell for automatically closing 10 the shimt circuitaround the cellvwhen the temperature of the cell exceeds a predeterminedpoint and automatically opening the shunt circuit when the temperaturefalls below said point.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set 15 l lmy hand this 21st day ofApril, 909.

